Kate Hudson is opening up about the backlash she’s gotten from the autism community for her new movie, Music. She appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and talked about her role director Sia‘s film, which cast Maddie Ziegler as a character on the autism spectrum. Ziegler does not herself have autism, and critics say someone with autism should have been cast.
Ziegler, 18, stars opposite Hudson, who plays a drug-dealer turned guardian of the special-needs teen.
Hudson said: “I, I hope so. I think when people see the film, that they will see the amount of love and sensitivity that was put into it. But it is an important conversation to have, not just about this movie, but as a whole — about representation.”
“For me, when I hear that there's anybody that feels left out I feel terrible,” she continued. “It's an ongoing and important dialogue to be had, about neurotypical actors portraying neurodivergent characters. It is an important one to have with people with experts and who know how to engage in the conversation. I encourage it, truly. I think that it's important to say that we are listening.”
Leslie Odom Jr., Juliette Lewis and Ben Schwartz also star in the film, which was co-written by Sia and Dallas Clayton. The movie recently earned two Golden Globe Award nominations, one for best motion picture and another for best actress for Hudson.
